MH-234 Bibio - FiRecommended to Mush by Marcus Eoin of Boards Of Canada, the debut release from central England's Stephen Wilkinson (aka Bibio) is a triumph of saturation, distortion, and musical obscurity. Comprised of seventeen ambient songs built on samples of his own work rather than the work of others, Fi is rich in musical imagery. Using manipulated live instrumentation, field recordings, and a strong portion of effects, Bibio's musical influences - the Incredible String Band, Joao Gilberto, My Bloody Valentine, Tortoise, and the producers of Warp Records - seep into his compositions. Bibio's debut is a revelation in the emotional power of lo-fi ambient compositions and clearly establishes him as a producer who has developed his own unique voice.

Bibio's "British-made mechanical folk music" comes as a welcome relief. Bibio - aka Black Country-based musician and producer Stephen Wilkinson - takes his name from a fishing fly used by his dad. And his music is a quietly captivating assemblage of location cassette recordings and subtly shifting guitar and piano loops. While it does owe a clear debt to pastoral techno trailblazers Boards of Canada, highlights such as "Quantock" and "Overgrown" have a woozy bucolic charm all of their own. - Daily Telegraph